In mature gas wells, the accumulation of fluids in the well can slow and sometimes even halt gas production. Various methods have been employed to remove the accumulated fluids such as foaming chemicals and pumps. One particularly cost affective liquid removal mechanism is a plunger lift system. Through the opening and closing of valves, a plunger lift system uses gas pressure buildup in a well to lift a column of accumulated fluid (hereinafter “the slug”) out of a well. The plunger lift system maintains gas production in wells that may otherwise substantially slow, or halt altogether.
While plunger lift systems are very affective, as demonstrated by wide industry acceptance, drawbacks persist. For example, as a well matures, the gas pressure may become insufficient to force a plunger and slug out of a well. At that point, the plunger lift system becomes useless. Thus, there is a need in the art to prolong the effectiveness of plunger lift systems and achieve greater gas well productivity.